ISSUE 4

MODERN CHESS
MAGAZINE

Dragon Variation - How to Play

Part 4 Practical Endings

A lapin Variation of

Sicilian Defense - Part 3

How to Handle the Connected

Passed Pawns - Part 4

Attack with an Isolated

Pawn – Part 3

In This Issue:
GM Nikolai Ninov
GM Grigor Grigorov
GM Davorin Kuljasevic
GM Boris Chatalbashev
GM Petar G. Arnaudov
Table of contents
3 Methods of Playing against Isolated Queen’s Pawn (GM Grigor Grigorov)

4 Belavenets,Sergey Vesevolodovi - Rauzer,Vsevolod

7 Ivanchuk,Vassily (2750) - Aronian,Levon (2744)
10 Grigorov,Grigor (2503) - Michelakos,Panagiotis (1996)

14 How to Play Practical Endings (GM Boris Chatalbashev)

14 Chatalbashev, Boris (2499) - Lazarev, Vladimir (2507)

17 Chatalbashev,B (2560) - Das,Say (2332)

21 Alapin Variation of Sicilian Defence (GM Petar G. Arnaudov)

21 Howell,David (2657) - Gormally,Daniel (2488)

23 Mammadov,Zaur Fazahir Oglu (2500) - Virovlansky,Semen (2425)
26 Sveshnikov,Evgeny (2541) - Kogan,Artur (2483)
27 Vachier Lagrave,Maxime (2722) - Cotonnec,Melkior (2421)

30 Dragon Variation- Part 4 (GM Nikolai Ninov)

30 Dragon - 6.f4
36 Dragon - 6.Bg5

The Power of the Connected Passed Pawns

41 in the Endgame – Part 1 (GM Davorin Kuljasevic)

41 Connected pawns 1
42 Connected pawns 2
43 Connected pawns 3
45 Connected pawns 4
46 Connected pawns 5
47 Connected pawns 6
47 Connected pawns 7
48 Connected pawns 8
48 Heneberger,1916
49 Averbakh,1970
 Methods of Playing against
Isolated Queen’s Pawn
GM Grigor Grigorov
Dear readers of the Modern Chess Magazine,
In the previous two issues, GM Viktor Gavrikov
presented the most important attacking ideas in
position with an isolator. As we already noticed,
an isolated pawn provides spatial advantage,
which significantly increases the attacking
potential in difficult middlegame positions.
Although the examples discussed so far have
been instructive and eloquent, we must
remember that playing with an isolated pawn
does not necessarily lead to brilliant attacks,
ending in elegant combinations. A well-known
rule is that the defending resources should be
bigger than the attacking ones. The same applies
to the positions with an isolated pawn. When the
opponent manages to recover from our attack on
the kingside, our spatial advantage loses its value
and the isolated pawn becomes a weakness. You
have to remember that every exchange of the
pieces brings us closer to the endgame, where the
isolator is extremely vulnerable. Unlike the
middlegame positions, in which our main goal is
to prevent the movement of the pawn (usually by
blocking it with a knight), in the final stage of the
game we try to win it. To quote a famous saying
ascribed to Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, “He
who does not know where he is heading will
necessarily arrive somewhere else”. In this line of
thought, I would like to analyze the game against
an isolated pawn, proceeding from the
fundamental aim - the winning of the pawn. This
retrospective approach has to start from the
endgame, and only then we can deepen our
understanding of middlegame positions. The
following example has played a very special role
in the formation of my chess knowledge. The
position in the diagram was reached in the game
between Belavenets - Rauzer, payed in 1937. I
was still a child when I first saw this example on
the pages of one of my favorite chess books,
Endgame Strategy, whose author is the renowned
chess player and teacher Mikhail Shereshevski.
This endgame impressed me not only with its
instructive view on the isolated pawn, but also
with the fact that it comprises endgame
fundamental principles. Now, let us assess the
given position. It is obvious, that due to the
current nature of the position (endgame), the
isolated queen pawn in the Black's field is a
weakness that has to be protected. In addition,
the White's pawn structure is compact and Black
has no chance to create any counter play - he is
doomed to passive defense. On the other hand,
besides the isolated pawn, Black has other
weaknesses as well. As we know from the
principle of two weaknesses, in order to realize a
position with advantage, there have to be at least
two weaknesses in the opposing camp. In the
light of the above-mentioned findings, we can
build the following strategy for the game: 1) to
put maximum pressure on the isolated pawn on
"d5". For this purpose, the white king has to take
the blocking position on "d4" and the knight to
attack the pawn on "c3"; 2) to grasp the space on
the queenside in order to fix the opponent's
pawns which in the future may become objects of
attack; 3) pawn attack on the kingside, aiming to
3
create the second weakness in Black's field; 4)
combined attack on the opponent's weaknesses
and winning one of them. Now, let us see how the
Soviet master Sergey Belavenets puts this plan in
action.
Belavenets,Sergey Vesevolodovi -
Rauzer,Vsevolod
Moscow-ch 17th Moscow , 11.1937

Based on the articles of GM Viktor Gavrikov, we
are acquainted with the idea of placing the knight
on "d4". As we already know, the blockade of the
isolated pawn with a knight is characteristic of
the middlegame positions, where the main idea is
to reduce the opponent's attacking ideas related
to the movement of the pawn. When there are
still many pieces on the board, it is not enough
just to control the square that is in front of the
isolated pawn. Quite often in such situations, the
opponent sacrifices the central pawn in order to
activate the pieces. Things are completely
different in the endgame. Since at this stage of the
game, the sacrifice of the isolator does not pose a
risk, the control of the square in front of it is
enough. As already mentioned, in the
middlegame the aim is to block the isolated
pawn, while in endgame, it is to destroy it.
 Maybe it is a better place for the bishop.
From "c6", it indirectly places pressure on the
long diagonal and especially on the "g2" pawn. In
these circumstances, White has to decide how to
place his pawns on the kingside, before the king
is going to "d4". In addition, from this position,
the bishop also controls the "b5" square, where
in some cases the white knight might be placed.
Another possible try is . but in that case,
Black will be deprived of any chances of a counter
play.

A key move for White's strategy! Remember that
in cases when the light-squared bishop of the
opponent is placed on the "h1–a8" diagonal, the
"g2–f3" pawn structure substantively diminishes
its activity. In general, in the position with a
strong knight against a weak bishop, the side
playing with the knight places the pawns on the
colour of the bishop. We have to make sure that
the pawns are placed correctly in order for them
not to become objects of attack.
A mistake is , because the "g2" pawn
remains unprotected. Black can create a counter
play by „; The move  prevents the
tactical opportunities related to the d5–d4
breakthrough, but weakens the white squares on
the kingside, which allows for possible activation
of the bishop.
4

Black does everything possible in order to
impede the centralization of the white king. It is
obvious, that in order to place the king on "d4", it
is necessary for White to repel the black king by
f3–f4. Thus, the white pawns on the kingside will
not be optimally positioned as this would weaken
the complex of white squares. However, Black's
position remains extremely passive and this
slight structural imperfection cannot change the
turn of the game.

The first part of the plan is done. Now, the black
pieces are chained to the isolated pawn and have
the role of passive observers. However, the "d5"
pawn is the only weakness in Black's position and
White has no more resources to increase the
pressure on it. Thus, eventually, White will have
to create the second weakness on the kingside.
And now is a good time to focus on one of the
main rules found in every textbook on endgames.
The rule states: When the opponent is deprived
of counter play, there is no need to rush with the
implementation of the preliminary set plan. In
other words, we should not proceed until the
position is enhanced to the limit. Now, let us
analyze the position in the diagram in the light of
the above-mentioned rule. If we take a closer
look, we will find that we can significantly
strengthen our position on the queenside. This
can be achieved by means of the following idea:
b2–b4–b5 followed by  Thus fulfilling four
main objectives: 1) to conquer space on the
queenside 2) to limit the activity of the black
light-squared bishop 3) to activate the knight 4)
to fix the pawn on "a7", which may become
subject to attack. It is therefore important not to
make hasty decisions in the endgame.
 Black totally adopts the passive
strategy, he can only wait. Despite the lack of
opportunity for particular counter play, he
should seek to strengthen his position. It is clear
that White's long-term plan predicts the
movement of the pawns on the kingside, aiming
to create an additional weakness. Considering
White's plan, it is possible to consider fixing the
"h7" pawn through g2–g4–g5 followed by 
and h2–h4–h5–h6. In the case of such a structure,
the relocation of the knight on "f6" would play a
crucial role. If Black decides to move the "f" pawn,
the eventual sacrifice on the knight on "g6" is
very dangerous. As the readers already
understood, in this type of positions, the
calculations of the different variations might help
a lot. Each of the opponents, based on their own
strategical knowledge, seeks to draw in his head
a clear picture of the best position for his pieces.
Due to similar reasons cited by me, a modern
endgame expert might prefer  In this
position, White can again prepare the movement
of "g" pawn to "g5". However, in such a scenario,
there are two important differences that should
be considered: 1) allowing the pawn exchange on
"g4" that is always beneficial for the party
5
defending itself; 2) White will fix the "f7"pawn sacrifice of the knight on "g6" is inevitable.
that is closer to the black king, thus, can be easily
protected.  The exclamation mark for this
move is purely perfunctory. As we see again and
 The black bishop cannot be relocated on again, the great Grandmasters never rush when
the "c8–h3" diagonal through , because the opponent is totally deprived from counter
White easily wins a pawn. play. Remember this way of playing in the
 endgames.

 The attempt to cause a pawn 

exchange on the queen side by  does not
work, because the "b6" pawn becomes too weak.
This is how White can win the pawn:
  ( also doesn't
work, because of ) 

 White methodically enhances his

position, while the opponent continues to follow
his strategy, to wait. Now that all white pieces
have taken the best positions, the time is ripe for
the pawn attack on the kingside.
Again, Black had to choose to play active:




The knight seeks to go on "g3" in order to

support the movement of the "h" pawn.




The attack begins! After this move, Black's

position is hardly defensible. It does not matter
in which way Black decides to place the pawns on
the kingside; this will inevitably cause a new
weakness for him. It is interesting to follow how
Belavenets carried out or plan.
Picturesque position! Rauzer gave up, because he
 Just like this! What remains now is is completely defenseless against White's threats.
for the "h" pawn to reach "h6", after that the This is how the game could have continued:

6



 followed by pushing the pawn on "h7"
and winning the game.
just played and there is an isolated pawn
on the board. In this typical position, Ivanchuk
decides to play what is at first glance a
paradoxical move:


1–0
Ivanchuk,Vassily (2750) - Aronian,Levon
(2744)
Morelia/Linares 24th Morelia/Linares (7),
25.02.2007

In order to understand the idea beyond the

mysterious retreat of the rook, it is necessary to
look at the natural  Lets see how the game
may continue: 


 We already know that when we have a

strong knight against a weak bishop and the side
playing with the bishop has an isolated pawn, the
defense is extremely difficult, because it is almost
impossible to organize any counter play. Let us
assume that in the previous example instead of
the bishop, there was a knight. In that case,
White's advantage would have been minimal,
because there is no possibility of enhancing the
pressure on the isolated pawn. It is enough for
Black to place the king on "d6" and the knight on
"e6" and the "d4" square is inaccessible for the
white king. We must therefore avoid remaining
with a light-squared bishop when there is an
isolator on "d5".
Now that we are familiar with the potential We have a typical endgame with an isolated
problems created by an isolated pawn in the pawn. If we exclude the white light-square
endgame, I would like to draw your attention to a bishop and the black knight, we will have a
more difficult and complex endgame position, in position similar to the one in the game between
which there are both minor and heavy pieces. Belavenetz - Rauzer. It is the presence of the
The position in the diagram has occurred in the knight that makes this position safe for Black. As
game between Ivanchuk - Aronian, played in already mentioned, Black will place the king on
2007 in the Morelia/Linares Tournament. Black "d6" and the knight on "e6". The only aim for

7
Black is not to allow the exchange of the knights, the black top from the second horizontal.
because in position with an isolated pawn on
"d5", we must not remain with the light-squared  Black withdrew
bishop. Taking into account these considerations, voluntarily, without seeing the obvious 
it is clear why Ivanchuk refused to exchange the
rooks on the "c" file. In relation to this issue, I 
would like to share one very important rule:
When playing against an isolated pawn, strive for
the exchange of minor pieces. It is recommended
that the heavy artillery remain on the board. Very
often, when the heavy pieces are exchanged and
the minor ones are on the board, the side playing
against the isolated pawn is losing the attacking
potential.

! Black lost the opportunity to exchange

the rooks and to pass into the wanted type of
position.
It is clear, that Black had to choose the following
variation: 
with a completely safe position.

 White plays logically. With the last move, the

bishop seeks to go to "b3", from where it can
participate in the attack of the "d5" pawn. Please
notice that it is an endgame and we do not seek
to block the pawn, but to win it.



Ivanchuk demonstrates a great positional sense.

From "d1", the rook applies frontal pressure on
the isolated pawn. The fact that Black possesses
the only open file is not crucial, because White
can easily control the only square for invasion
("c2")

 This is the point on which

White's idea is based. Now, White has enough
time to defend the "b2" pawn and to push away

8
Again the most precise continuation! With the
last move, Black placed a trap, which the
Ukrainian Grandmaster avoided.
The prospect of taking the pawn through 
seems attractive, but Black has enough counter
play for a draw. 
Due to the active rook,
Black is out of danger.
 Again a fantastic positional
move. Ivanchuk prepares to double the rooks on
the "d" file, but before that does not want to allow
Black to play  with tempo. It is very important
that black rooks remain on the board.
 If Black now tries to exchange
the rooks through , he will lose the central
pawn without any compensation:
 In this position
the move will be met by the natural 
 The black knight now is
included in the attack of the pawn. Now, the
threat is very dangerous. Aronian has to
take measures.
 Trying to play actively does not
work. White wins the "d5" pawn after


As every great endgame master, Ivanchuk does
not rush to take concrete actions. As already
mentioned, the "g2" and "f3" pawns form a
structure that aims to limit the potential activity
of the black light-squared bishop. Also, it is
important to take the control of the "e4" square,
where in certain circumstances the black knight
can be placed.
 Black cannot face the pressure anymore.
Now, the rook on "b5" will remain sidelined and
for his rescue it is necessary to sacrifice the
central pawn.
Probably it was better to choose solid ,
although White would have slight advantage. The
maneuver  is one of the interesting options
available (the readers know that our goal is to
exchange minor pieces).

This natural move leads to a decisive advantage.
Now White threatens to capture the rook by
playing a3–a4

 White has a completely winning position.
The rest of the game does not require any
comments.




1–0
9
Grigorov,Grigor (2503) - Michelakos, kingside were not real. However, the queens are
Panagiotis (1996) still on the board, which means that Black still
Kavala op 19th Kavala (5), 03.08.2010 has some dynamic potential. White's short-term
plan contains two main goals: 1) the blockade of
the isolated pawn; 2) the exchange of the minor
pieces. Under the circumstances, White's move is
absolutely logical:

 The knight seeks to go on "d4", from

where it is safe to block the black isolated pawn.
Black does not have enough resources to control
the "d4" square. In this type of positions, it is
obvious that the exchange of the dark-squared
bishops is only beneficial for White.



 I hope that the previous two examples

shed enough light on the methods of coping with
the isolated pawn in the endgame. We already
know which pieces have to be exchanged and
which should remain on board. This fundamental
knowledge will help us understand better the
middlegame positions with an isolated pawn. The
last example that I would like to share comes
from one of my own games, played in 2010 in the
Open Tournament in Kavala (Greece). Despite
the modest rating of my opponent Michelakos, he
performed very well until the fifth round, when
he had to play against me. Looking at his games, I
discovered that when he plays a familiar
variation and the position is full of tactical White begins to prepare for the siege of the
resources, he could defeat a stronger player. isolated pawn. As we already saw in the game
Considering this, I decided to play a quiet between Ivanchuk and Aronian, the pairing of the
position that promises a long, manoeuvrable rooks on the "d" file is always recommended.
game, where the lack of experience and the age of With the last move, White not only removes the
my opponent would have their say. After the pressure from the "b2" pawn, but also prepares
opening, a typical position with an isolated pawn the  followed by pairing of the rooks.
arose, in which White already shaped a slight Besides that, the  move has another
advantage. The exchange of the dark-squared substantial advantage, now the "c4" square is
bishops and the chances for Black to organize an under the control and Black does not have the
attack on the typical counter play, related to 

10

Black chooses the most optimal places for his
minor pieces. Placed on "e4", the bishop in a way
paralyses White's army. If we assume for a
moment that White weakens the control of the
"d4" square, then the black bishop can be
exchanged for the knight on "f3", followed by the
movement of the central pawn. Also, in some
positions, White should consider the idea or
relocation of the rook on the sixth horizontal,
through the maneuver (see the first article
on isolated pawn by Viktor Gavrikov). Another
way to strengthen the control over the "d4"
square would be to play  at the right moment.
It was the thought of this character that
prompted me to exchange the black light-
squared bishop without losing any time.
 Offering to exchange the light-squared
bishops, White indirectly prevents the Nf5. Black
faces difficult strategical dilemma. Black has to
decide if it safer to remain with an isolated pawn
or to pass into a position in which his pawn goes
on "e4" after the exchange of the bishops. Let us
assume the second scenario. Because it will be
more distant from the black field, "e4" pawn
would be much more difficult to protect. It will be
strong in situations where space advantage
would allow Black to organize a quick attack on
the kingside. In this case, Black's problem is
further complicated by the fact that White
possesses the "d" open file. Alternatively, if Black
chooses to play the position with the isolated
pawn, he will be doomed to passive defense until
the end of the game. My opponent chose the latter
continuation.
 The first serious
inaccuracy. Black voluntarily goes to a position in
which his queen will be placed inappropriately in
the center on the board - on "e4" it becomes an
easy target for white pieces.
From my point of view, Black should have chosen
the following continuation:
with the idea . The
position now has an endgame character which
means that the blockade of the isolated pawn is
not enough. White will be forced to look for
opportunities to put more pressure on the pawn,
but the pair of the black rooks on the "c" file is
ready to invade the second horizontal as soon as
the white knight leaves the "d4" square. Another
possible development of the position includes
massive exchange of the rooks on the "c" file, but
we already know that when we play against an
isolated pawn, we should avoid the exchange of
heavy pieces. Maybe White could gradually
increase the pressure through  and
so on. But even in this case, the lack of the second
weakness in Black's position makes the
advantage minimal.
 It's impossible to play
because of ! and White is winning.
 With the last move, White begins to
reorganize his forces for the attack on the pawn.
According to the position, the knight can go on
"c3" as well as on "g3" and "f4".
 My opponent has no intention of
becoming a passive observer of the events and
seeks to create threats on the kingside. The rook
is directed to "g6" from where it predetermines
the career of the white knight.
 The
maneuvers of the white queen manage to create
coordination problems between the black pieces
and my opponent can no longer create serious
threats on the kingside. Now the knight goes to
11
"c3", from where it will attack the isolated pawn.

Extremely serious positional mistake. With his
last move, Michelakos irreparably weakens the
kingside and creates the second weakness so
wanted by me.

Important moment! Until now, I consciously
avoided the exchange of the queens because I
thought I could not place enough pressure on the
only black weakness - the isolated pawn on "d5".
After the weakening movement g7–g5, such an
exchange becomes attractive as it is now possible
to create combined pressure on both
weaknesses. It was better for white for the
exchange to take place on the "g4" square,
because a white pawn on "g4" would have fixed
the weakness on "h6" and the semi-opened "h"
file is now available for the white rooks.
 A new
inaccuracy. With this last move, Black blocks the
connection between the rook on "d6" and the
weakened pawn on "h6". His desire to centralize
the king as soon as possible in order to increase
the protection of the isolated pawn is completely
understandable. However, the isolated pawn is
not in great danger due to the fact that White
cannot increase the pressure on it.
 White applied the golden rule of endgame -
do not rush! Before taking offensive action
against the opponent's weaknesses, it is better to
occupy space and to optimally activate all pieces.
White's short-term plan includes moves such as
f2–f4 and .Note that after the second
horizontal is released, the white rooks can be
paired on the "h" file, as well as on "d" file.
 This move
is inaccurate because it unnecessarily weakens
"c5" square, where the white knight could have
been placed. Of course it is not easy to defend
patiently a passive position without counter play.

Very important move! Before playing  I
wanted to make sure that Black does not have
any counter play related to the breakthrough d5–
12
d4. White's threat is , followed by placing
both rooks on the "h" file.



The black knight firmly protects the weakened

pawn on "h6", but can no longer participate in the
defense of the "f5" square where the white knight
headed.

Black is prepared to quickly include the rooks in 

the defense of the "h6" pawn, but now there is a
new problem - the weakness on the "c5" square
and the vulnerable pawn on "a6". In fact, this is
precisely where white knight is directed.
 Black wants to take the control over the
"c5" square by placing the rook on "c8", however,
"" cannot participate in the defense of the "h"
pawn.
 The black pieces are really tight. The goal of
White's invasion is now the "e6" square. The
threat is  followed by the winning of the
isolated pawn. The knight on "e6" can always be
supported by f4–f5.


The move  is no longer effective, because

White has a strong counter move  with the
blockade of the pawn. After the knight takes the
"d3" square, the "c" file will become available to
the white rooks. There are five weaknesses in
Black's position - "h6", "d4", "a6", "f5", and "c5".

!

The decisive mistake in a hopeless position. Here

comes the spectacular finale:

 Black resigns.

1–0

13
 How to Play Practical Endings our pawns.
2. Piece activity and initiative. In complex
Boris Chatalbashev endings with pawns on both sides and many
pieces on the board this factor is also almost as
important as in the middlegame.
3. King's activity. Often serving as extra piece in
endgames, but one must not forget that because
of its greater exposure, the King might become
target for various tactics and also mating threats.
I. An ending I like
These days theory has developed so much that
many games go from the opening straight into an
ending. But more often than not, these are not
easy endgames, thus it becomes even more
important to learn how to play them! Many
young players, when studying opening theory,
make the mistake of not examining later stages of
the game – when in fact every opening has his
own typical endings that arise, with their own
positional ideas and even typical tactical motives.
This is why it is recommended that along with,
say, French defense, one should also learn typical
Practical endgames
French endings. It is not enough to know only the
Quite often in tournament games we reach an
computer evaluation after move 
ending with many pieces on the board – the kind
that has no exact evaluation. It might be
Chatalbashev,Boris (2499) -
approximately equal or with some advantage for
Lazarev,Vladimir (2507)
one side, but how it unfolds will depend entirely
Cattolica op Cattolica (6), 16.06.2005
on the future actions and creativeness of the
players. Generally, knowledge of theoretical 
endgame positions is always a useful asset, as 
even complex endings might occasionally be 
reduced to such positions. However, in order to 
reach such a position and have everything in our 
favour, we must learn how to build advantages
little by little, how to pose problems for the
opponent. I shall therefore concentrate on
offering inspiration as well as practical advice on
how to play in a complex ending – the theory is
already covered in hundreds of books. The main
factors that determine our play in such positions
are rather well known:
1. Pawn structure. Of course, ideally, we should
have no weaknesses, and instead focus on
creating and attacking those in the opponent's
camp. Also in endgames space advantage is
sometimes a crucial thing - not only for the space
of maneuvering typical for middlegames, but also
because of the greater likelihood of promotion of

14
Here we have an endgame that arises from a Nevertheless, the continuation Black has chosen
modest variation in Ragozin Defence following in the game looks safer.
the best moves from both sides. Objectively, I
can’t strongly recommend this line as a main one 
in your repertoire, as this position is almost
equal. But I like it, as White has some tiny plus,
there is no risk and his position is easier to play.
The slight advantage comes from the fact that
Black will be left with a somewhat weak pawn on
d5 (or on c6, which is even worse) that is the
same colour as his bishop. Also because my King
is already in the center, covering "c" file, the black
one is yet to arrive there. Thus White will enjoy
some tempos, possibly to create an initiative. And
there is always a psychological moment in chess
- if you like a certain position, you are sure to play
it better!

 In view of the next line, it was

interesting first to include capture on c6. Lazarev shows good knowledge - in similar
positions, for example in Carlsbad structure, it is
  known that the best square for the knight is d6.

  poses slightly more problems for

Black -
()




was a good move, because White has to double

his pawns - otherwise b5 pawn is not protected.
It is understandable that Black does not want to
go into this position - the fight between a bishop
and a knight with pawns on both wings is
generally in favour of the bishop. Also in that case
An important move - first it makes black pawns
Black has to be careful when White advances in
to stand on squares of the same colour as their
the center with e3–e4. Still, the main lines show
bishop; second - white rook might become useful
the position is equal. 
 on the 5th rank at some point; and third - if white
 knight reaches c5 square, it will not be pushed off
 by b7–b6 easily - see next game!

15
 Preparing an advance in the center.

 Very good move, it is useless to play f7–f6,

as after the check on g6 white knight goes to f4.
As a result, Black takes control of this square,
simultaneously gaining space on the kingside.

 just helps White 

 was safer. The King is well

positioned in the center, but it gives White some
tactical motives.

 And that is what I tried - to use "e"file to

create threats. Now my structure is temporarily
spoiled, but the rook on e1, possible knight jumps
to g4, oblige Black to be very careful. Here we see
a transformation - White neglects positional
factors on purpose, but takes the initiative!

uses the placement of white King. 31.Ґxc4 ¦xc4 Now
White can’t win a piece because of the check on
d4, but he can still try to push the passed pawn.
The position is again almost equal, but this does
not mean it is a draw! For example
with some
pressure.

 Threatening both g5 pawn and check on

c5.

 Another transformation - no

tactical threats now, but White has big positional
advantage. The passed d pawn gets supported,
white rook gets f file. Objectively, White's
advantage might not be winning yet, but in
practical chess it is so.




Looks like the only sensible move against d4–d5

threat...



16
White King gets this excellent square which will 
help future e4–e5 break.

 In that case it does not matter that

another pawn goes to a square that is the same
colour as white bishop. More important is space
advantage and that g pawn draws nearer to 8th
rank.

It was possible 

 but one of the general endgame principles
is "Do not rush!". The idea is, when you are the
stronger side, to improve all the little things
possible, maybe even tire your opponent with
some maneuvering, and only then carry on with
the obvious plan.

  The passive defence
does not promise much. White will
combine ideas along "h" and "c" files. He might
also play Ra1 to provoke b6 and then go with the
rook to c6.
As we saw, all the endgame factors played a
major role in that game, including the possible
mating threats that I briefly mentioned earlier!
1–0

 Chatalbashev,B (2560) - Das,Say (2332)

Complete domination! 2nd Grand Europe Open 2013 Golden Sands BUL
(7.34), 16.06.2013
 

 



Many years later I went for the same variation,

this time in a must-win tournament situation. Do
not be afraid to play "almost" equal endings!

 My opponent chooses another move, there

A move I saw well in advance, simple but nice. is hardly any difference, the position is not a
and suddenly Black is holding. concrete one yet.


17

Slight inaccuracy - it was better to immediately
proceed with the plan , .

To White might react with
 and he is ready to apply
some pressure on the queenside - White has
some advantage, though very small.
trying to gain space on the kingside.
 Not that the bishop is doing something
special there - just to clear the path for the knight.
 was interesting,
preparing to meet c5 with . Black does not
want to part with his bishop, but his set-up is
passive.
 Now White has
achieved what he was aiming for - the knight on
c5 is very strong and because of the pawn on a6
Black can’t play b7–b6 easily.
 Still, that was exactly what Black should
do!  because of the fork, capture is
impossible. White has to change plans, probably
going for a b2–b4 at a certain moment, for
example 




looks better. After 36.h4,
maneuvering and waiting stage continues.)
Black has not fully equalised.


Gaining space, which is important in such
positions - one can’t win a game profiting from
only one weakness in the opponent's camp.
Perhaps Black should have included g7–g5
himself, but it is not clear on which move. With
he chose to prevent b4 - hardly a bad idea,
either.
 Here is not that convincing. After
and future  Black might have problems
with b5 square and d5 pawn, therefore he has to
be careful. Instead he chooses a non-move,
connecting it to an even stranger plan, allowing
White to play b4 etc. Why is that? Actually this
happens quite often when one side does not have
a clear plan. For a human it is tough to wait for
long, so bad plans start to occur... It is often said
that if in the endgame you deprive your opponent
of counterplay, he will beat himself - as simple as
that.
 immediately was a little better, but
somehow I was convinced my opponent would
not go back on c6 next move.
18



might not be winning. Of course it is, the key thing
being the pawn on e4, weak, on a square in the
colour of the bishops. For example,

 and white King will reach f4
square as Black has to keep an eye on d pawn and
will not manage with .


Finally, White has carried out his "attack of the

minority" plan. The idea is to have the side with a
pawn majority at one wing left with just one
weak pawn there. Typical for many positions,
especially the Carlsbad structure. 


 Due to the unconvincing maneuvering
on the part of my opponent, I could now win a
pawn.

Somehow I was afraid that the position after




From now on both sides allow many inaccuracies

to creep into their game. The reason - the idiotic
new Fide time control with no additional time
after the 40th move. Recently it was abandoned,
at least in higher-level competition, but here in
Bulgaria...

19
 
was winning 




 

 
 

and after several moves White managed to win.
The moral for Black - when trying to defend
slightly inferior endings, you can never afford to
go in just a passive set-up. Always search for
more positive, active ideas (like g7–g5 or a6–a5
in the given game)! Those two games, though
quite different from each other (and because of
that), pretty much summarize all possibilities of
White's position in the given variation. But let me
tell you, similar endgames might occur from
many  openings, which is why I tried hard to
explain all the various ideas - you never know
what may come in handy next time. It was not by
chance that I mentioned Carlsbad structure twice
in Queen's Gambit Declined - when playing those
games, I myself used motives and ideas I already
knew from other openings and typical positions.
1–0
20
 Alapin Variation of Sicilian Howell,David (2657) - Gormally,Daniel
(2488)
Defence Douglas PokerStars op Douglas (4), 07.10.2014
Petar G. Arnaudov 

 This is the main move in the

position.  is considered to be an inaccuracy
because of . Another popular move is , but
I believe this is a better place for the knight on g1.
In this situation, Black has three main
Dear Readers, continuations.
In this issue of our magazine, we would like to 
acquaint you with all the second-best moves after
 These are the following:
 These variations
are not as popular as  and  which were
discussed in the previous issue. However, we still
need to know how to play against them. This
article will introduce you to the basic ideas, move
orders and niceties of the variations and help
build your debut repertoire leading to pleasant
positions in the game. In the first example, we
will analyze the positions occurring after 

With the idea to reduce the tension in the center.

White can develop its pieces in full comfort and
gain minimum, but lasting advantage.

21


 removing the tension in the center.  The most

The new idea is very interesting. White seeks to
develop the knight through "a3". 

clear advantage in the Benoni type position.)
 1-0
(50) Ju,W (2514)-Cmilyte,V (2514) Beijing White
has a promising position. He could put pressure
on the queenside pawns and try to control the
"d5" square, while Black has a passive position
without any counter

(38) Hovhannisyan,R (2591)-Weber,U (2424)
Bad Wiessee 2014 The "c3" pawn limits the
activity of the black pieces, meanwhile White can
easily develop his pieces and put pressure on the
"d6" and "e6" pawns; 
Black wants to finish the development without
energetic move. 
a)  White can safely take the
sacrificed pawn. 
 Black does not have
enough compensation for the pawn in the game-
1–0 (26) Tiviakov,S (2601)-Odendahl,R (2377)
Vlissingen 2004; 
b) 
 With a better position for White. 1–0 (53)
Tiviakov,S (2631)-Cao,S (2488) Warsaw 2005)

 1–0 (24) Pap,M (2507) -Sandipan,C
(2656) Paleochora 2011;
c)  This anti-positional move is quite
popular lately and from my point of view, White
has good chances for advantage if playing
With
naturally.  Black knight
looks quite strange on "h5"
  With
slight advantage for White.)
 With clear
advantage in the game 1/2 (61) Roberson,P
(2406)-Jones,G (2671) England 2015;
play.)
 e6 As we know, the "е6" and "g6"
1–0
combination is always dangerous, now the black
squares are quite weakened. 




22
  Black decided to exchange the
queens, but this does not make the defence any
easier.








1–0

Mammadov,Zaur Fazahir Oglu (2500) -

Virovlansky,Semen (2425)
Golden Sands op-A Golden Sands (5),
Beautiful combination.  12.06.2015
1–0

(28) Rozentalis,E (2586) -Kempinski,R (2553) 
Istanbul 2003

 Sometimes, White can start with

, to prevent 





The most principled move, the position is

symmetrical, but is more pleasant and easier to
play for White, as its figures are better developed.

 The move  does not

solve Black's problems. 

 With a better endgame for
White.

23
This seemingly strange move has been used
many times with success by GM Movsesyan. The
idea is to hinder the movement of the pawn d2–
d4, while attacking White's center. I suggest to
you the most natural scheme for development:
   (The naive 
 is in Black's favor) 
 White defends the pawn and
releases the "f1" square for the bishop. White is
preparing to play d2–d4 and then it is not clear
what the queen on "a5" is doing. 
Any other move would have been followed by d4
with advantage. 
 
Black's position is defenseless.


The debut experiment turned out to be a fiasco

for Black. The kingside is fully undeveloped and This move revived the variation in the past years,
on the queenside, there are only weaknesses. The the idea is to play d8 against g5.
white pieces are ready for the decisive attack. 1–
0 (29) Paehtz,E (2454)-Antoniewski,R (2559) 
Austria 2012)  (7.d4!? this
move is a slight inaccuracy
 Black somehow manages
to keep the position closed and plan on making
the castle, after which White will have a purely
perfunctory advantage.)  At the cost
of the bishop, White destroys the pawn structure
of the opponent. 
( With the idea Ba3 and
Black has problems to finish the development.)
 Black has no
choice (after  follows  with victory)


24
 

)
(
 With a dangerous initiative
for the pawn.)  Black has a hopeless
position. The queenside is fully undeveloped and
the king has no safe hiding.
1–0 (23) Pap,M (2459)-Hess,M (2114) Bad
Woerishofen 2015; 

A typical move for this type of positions, the black

knight defends the "d5" square and therefore we
have to try and remove it.

 The exchange of the dark-squared

bishops would only facilitate Black's defense.

 Excellent
move.

There is also a forced continuation, 

but the analysis shows that the position is not  Was stronger to play 
entirely clear after 
 0–1 (71) Vysochin,S
(2521) -Munoz Pantoja,M (2478) ICC INT 2008)


 The weakness on "d5" square
and the possession of the "a" file give White a
small advantage.1–0 (41) Mammadov,Z (2482) -
Bolkvadze,G (2411) Rustavi 2014

 Interesting move 



With a better play for White. 


 With big advantage for White.
1–0 (36) Demchenko,A (2589)-
Dzhumagaliev,Y (2424) St Petersburg 2015 



25
 Perhaps this is the best attempt for Black to
 complete his development.

 1–0 (42) Mammadov,Z (2500)- 
Virovlansky,S (2425) Golden Sands 2015
1–0
Sveshnikov,Evgeny (2541) - Kogan,Artur
(2483)
Nova Gorica op 05th Nova Gorica (5),
05.02.2000


Black is trying to attack White's center, but this

This is the right order.
 Тhis move allows 

 0–1 (35)
Lima,D (2505)-Stefansson,H (2530) Linares
1995) 
 0–1 (33) Jorgensen,S (2020)-
Drazic,S (2445) Koge 1997
move forcibly leads to a more difficult position
for him.  The black
pieces seem to be positioned actively, but they
are very unstable. 
 Except the
positional advantage, White now has material
advantage as well. 1–0 (44) Baklan,V (2590)-
Zeller,F (2450) Schwaebisch Gmuend 2000;




Now the "b1" square is free! 

 White defeated all threats and now
the black pieces are positioned very awkwardly.
Gradually, we start to push.

26
 With two
knights on "h5" and "a5", Black's position is very
difficult. Now the threat is  and winning a
piece 
 Beautiful strike

 Great game!
1–0
(26) Schmittdiel,E (2450)-Grooten,H (2410)
Wijk aan Zee 1993
The

weakness on "d6" is giving White some
advantage.


Simple move  kept great advantage


Wonderful positional sacrifice of the exchange.
After many adventures, White still won this
game.











1–0
Vachier Lagrave,Maxime (2722) -
Cotonnec,Melkior (2421)
Pyramides FFE GP op 2nd Le Port Marly (3),
21.09.2013

The trick of Black's plan is an immediate attack
27
on White's center followed by putting pressure
on the "d4" pawn through g4, с6, h6–f5, f6'
  With a very good version of an
isolated pawn for Black.


This is the most popular move that does not
equalize the position, but gives advantage to
White in case of precise play.

Tricky order. Black does not determine the
position of the minor pieces on the queenside;
instead, he wants to develop the kingside first
and to castle.  Does not allow Black to castle
immediately 

 With clear advantage.) 
 And White wins the pawn


 1–0 (19) Malkin,A (1924)-
Caillet,S (2046) LSS email 2010; 
Another possible order 

 1–0 (26) Burg,T (2517)-Cruz Alvarez de
Ron,D (2222) Lisbon 2014) 
White

has advantage because of the better pawn
structure.1–0 (30) Tkachiev,V (2637)-
Guseinov,G (2607) Warsaw 2013

After this move, White has a better structure. The
black squares in the opponent’s field are weak
28
and the bishop on "g7" is passive.  
  With obvious positional
advantage for White.1–0 (29) Kramnik,V (2791)-
Vachier Lagrave,M (2703) Moscow 2010

  This simple

move keeps the White’s positional advantage.


 With an almost
equal position.



This move is also quite interesting, White does

not plan to exchange his bishop so easily.
The point of
White’s idea
 With
a completely acceptable position for Black.)

 After this move, Black's position falls.
( Black has enough
compensation for the sacrifice of the exchange)



White again took the position under his control

and easily led the game to victory.




1–0

Even if the play is far from perfect, the game is an

impressive rout and a creative achievement for
the Russian Grandmaster 1–0 (23)
Nepomniachtchi,I (2705)-Savchenko,B (2567)
Berlin 2015 CB42_2015

29
 Dragon Variation- Part 4 Dragon - 6.f4
GM Nikolai Ninov 

Now we are going to focus on two variations

where White is planning to execute a break in the
center.

  This is Black's main response.

From a practical point of view, Black needs to

avoid the sharp positions which arise after:


Dear Readers of Modern Chess Magazine,

In this issue, we continue with our analysis of the
extremely exciting Dragon variation in Sicilian
defence. This time we are going to deal with some
rare continuations that White can chose on move
six. The fact that these lines are not so popular
doesn't make them any less dangerous. As you
will see, such lines can be extremely aggressive
and one should be very precise when facing them.
Previously we looked at how White was
developing his light-squared bishop mainly on
"e2" or "c2". In the present article, I am going to
bring to your attention a number of alternative
ways of developing the bishop. From Black's Even though Black's position is theoretically
point of view, we are going to concentrate mainly defendable, nobody would be happy to face
on the most precise move orders which allow us concrete problems at such an early stage of the
to avoid possible dangers and overtake the game. For example, Black has lost a lot of games
after the following trap:
initiative.

30
 Black's bishop belongs to "e7" because the "d6"

pawn should be protected. 

 In response to the positional

 Black can play  when for
White it is not easy to castle and develop his dark-
squared bishop. a) Before we focus on White's most ambitious
plan connected with ––, we are going to deal
 Black must be very careful with positions where white king goes to the short
if White plays  side. 
 In this position, we shouldn't take on "f4"
because White is ahead in development and has
the initiative. In this kind of situations, we must
bring our forces into play as soon as possible.

With a comfortable position.

  (The line 

is playable, but Black doesn't need to rush with
the exchange of the queens, because his queen
plays an important role in the fight for initiative.)


 (We should mention that

even a player like Kasparov offered a draw after


31
 but Black has a strong intermediate move 
with a clear advantage.) 
 (Black could have tried to
equalize by means of  Here is an example:



 0–1 W. Da Silva -
Quintillano, P, Rio de Janeiro, 2011.

b) Weaker is 
 Black has

1/2 G.Kasparov - Y. Balashov, Moskow, 1981 - won an exchange in the game Kujipers - Gupta.;
Here I would like to bring to your attention some
important positional aspects. In this kind of 
structures, the exchange of dark-squared bishops
is generally advantageous for Black because his
pawn couple in the center (c6 and d5) restricts
the activity of white light-squared bishop. This
structure can be seen in the Four Knights Scotch
as well, but for an important difference - in the
above mentioned opening, White has a pawn on
"f2". Now his pawn is on "f4" and therefore "e4"
and "e3" squares are weakened.)
 (In
order to justify the move , White can opt for
, but even in this case, Black can respond
with the powerful 
(Even better
would have been the direct where the
following sequence is possible: 
 Black goes again for the structure we have
already discussed. In the long term, the open "b"
file and the weakness of the "e4" square should
tell. Let's take a look at some typical examples: In
the game Klaundt - Angantisson, Siegen, 1970,
White played  but failed to equalize after
(
(

It seems that what regains material by ,

32

Black has a tremendous pressure. I can’t see how
White can deal with all the threats.)

In this position, Black is winning in a fantastic
way: 
Unexpectedly White is confronted with material
losses: 
a) 
a)





 Black enjoys a considerable
pressure and White's next mistake is
understandable.

 Black is already winning.)
 (Interesting is 
which was played in the game Todorov, T
- Ilchov, R, Bankia 1992, but the main line
seems to be better.) 

33
After the occupation of the central "e4" square 
Black's advantage is close to decisive. In order to
illustrate how dangerous Black's threats could
be, let me provide the following three instructive
miniatures: 

a)

 0–1
Nipgen, G - Klain, M, 1972;

a) 

b) 



Unsurprisingly, Black is demonstrating his
 0–1 Durao -
intention to build an attack along the semi-open
Hoffman, 2006; 
 "b" file.
 The immediate  could be met by 

 0–1 Iljin,N
-  
Cebalo,M 1999.) While analysing this
complicated position with Stockfish, I
managed to find a radical solution to all
the problems: 


White launches an attack without making any

prophylactic moves. 

- Black has a pawn and strong initiative for the

exchange.

34
Now that white bishop is developed on "c4", the
move  is fully justified because Black wins an
important tempo. (

 By bringing the rook into play, Black is

In this position, Black has three good options. We
are going to examine all of them but I think that
the choice is a matter of taste.

and here Black has a tremendous initiative after
 Black can also execute an idea typical for
such pawn structures connected with the
exchange of the dark-squared bishops:
 With a comfortable
play.)  Although this move is possible,
black knight is not optimally placed on "b6". (The
move  seems to be more natural. The game
could continue in the following way: 
Again with the idea to exchange the dark-squared
bishops. 
 Black has nothing to complain
about.)  (Better is )
 In this position,
Black can follow with  with the idea to
meet by means of  White is
confronted with serious problems.)
 (
 With a clear
advantage.) 

 0–1 Catona -
Joldi, 2006.; 
ready to start active actions on the queenside.
White can't afford to lose time. (In this position,
the move  is an obvious mistake. As the
reader already knows, in such positions, Black
tries to build an attack along the "b" file. Now this
file is blocked by the knight.

 Unfortunately, black knight is forced to
go back. White's final attack is very elegant.




 1–0 Vasques
Torres - Nieto de la Cruz, 2008.) 
Before starting an attack, Black rightfully decides
to prevent the dangerous pawn breaks on the
kingside. Furthermore, by placing his knight on
"f6" Black opens his light-squared bishop. It
seems that in this position, White has run out of

35
creative approaches. Here is a typical variation: 
 
 
 Black has more than
enough compensation for the exchange.
  Black is almost winning
by means of simple and natural moves. 
White admits his mistake, but it's too late.



 0–1 Brunnet - Tomic, 2000;


 Black is ready to make draw
by repetition after 


With better chances for Black. It is safe to
conclude that in this line, Black has not only a
perfectly comfortable position, but also the
chance to seize the initiative at the right moment.
Dragon - 6.Bg5
We continue our analysis with another
interesting set-up that White can choose. Just like
the positions we have analysed above, White
tries to prepare the "e4–e5" break in the center.
This time, however, we can say that his approach
is more sound from a positional point of view.
The position we are interested in arises after the
This move leads to complications which tend to moves:
be favourable for Black. 

The adventurous  is rather dubious. 

 After neutralizing White's
threats, Black won in Shcherbakov - Lisitsin,
1995.


This move highlights the fact that white knight is
misplaced.

After 
 Black has an obvious
compensation for the exchange, but nothing
more. For example: 



36
This is the starting position of the whole
variation. White is already threatening to execute
his desired pawn break in the center.
Nevertheless, Black has enough resources to
allow him to deal with White's threats.

 This is the main line.
The alternative 
deserves serious attention. Black is ready to
finish the development as soon as possible, even
at the price of some material concessions. Of
course, such an approach is in the spirit of the
Sicilian Dragon. If you like to sacrifice material in
order to overtake the initiative, this line is exactly
for you. As I recommend   I am only offering
some sample lines concerning  
(
 () )

(
)


 To an approximately equal ending leads
 
The idea behind Black's last move becomes
obvious in the following line: 
 After eliminating white light-
squared bishop, Black has nothing to worry
about. The play may continue in the following
fashion. 
 The pressure along the "" diagonal
is tremendous.
 This natural continuation is
the main line in the position.
It's quite interesting to analyse Black's attempts
to generate strong pressure along the long
diagonal. The move  allowed Black to take
the full point in two well-known games: 
a) 
( With
approximately equal chances) 

b) ;
 ()

37
 In this position, White should probably accept
This position has been reached in the two above the challenge and take the pawn -
mentioned games. I think that Black's chances  (Correct was 
are preferable.  ( )
 ()
)
(Smirin misses the elegant . If White takes 
the pawn by means of . Black is winning 1–0 Otosen - Trehos, 2005
after  Black is threatening to play  
with a double attack. If White covers the "b5"  Black should
square by   then   is possible.) have started with 


 And Black managed to realize his
material advantage in the game Vitolinsh -
Smirin, 1987.)  (The move  was
winning on the spot.) 
Here it was precise to play (White should have
gone for the complications arising after
 Two black pawns are under
attack and Black must prove his advantage again.
 ( ) )
 ( Yurtaev - Petrakov, 1994)
 The move  could be played in a
slightly different move order:  (This is the beginning of an appropriate
operation which was, however, not executed in
the best possible way.

 (White was winning after 
(and White won after 

38
)
 And Black is winning.)
(Theonlymovewas
Even though,after 


White's position is far from being
easy.

White's positions is
hopeless.; The desired break 
seems to be premature after 


 In the
endgame, Black has realized his advantage
without facing any problems.  
 
 
  Here
 0–1 Lakos - Dekic, 1997 White is obliged to transpose in the above
mentioned line by means of  (The move
  just loses after the following sequence:
 





This move seems so natural that I find it very

difficult to put a question mark, but as we are
going to see, it is White's last move that is the
source of his problems.
 This is the move to which Bulgarian GM
Milev Vasilev gave preference in his game against
GM Eremenkov played in 2002. In spite of being
a very good tactician, GM Vasilev did not succeed
in finding a forced win.

Now the position is stable and White enjoys a
slight advantage due to his better pawn
structure.

As
black pieces are concentrated mainly on the
queenside, White could have played the simple


39


  was better. White is
planning to take with a piece on "d5".





Inaccuracy.
After  Black's counterplay is
enough for a draw due to the activity of his rook.
For example: 




Probably a decisive mistake. In this kind of
positions, however, it's extremely difficult to
keep the balance.
It was necessary to choose the tenacious
 (Black loses after 





 We have reached
the same endgame as the game Radulski -
Berbatov which was analysed in the previous
issue of Modern Chess Magazine!) 







Now the black king is completely stacked. The
rest is simple.

Black resigns.
40
 The Power of the Connected Connected pawns 1

Passed Pawns in the Endgame –

Part 1
GM Davorin Kuljasevic

White and Black each have a pair of passed

Hello Dear Chess Friends!
We have come to the last chapter about the
importance of pawns in endgames. In the
previous issues we discussed pawn races with
passed pawns, breakthrough, „electric pawns“
and the rule of the common square. In this issue
pawns. While White has connected passed
pawns, Black has pawns which are 2 files apart.
The pawn on a5 is under attack, but White has the
typical defense:
 Now white pawns defend each other and
will be ready for promotion with the help of
white king. But what about black pawns? It turns
out that their future is not so bright since their
common square reaches only the second rank,
not the first (for details please refer to the
previous issue).
 Of course,  steps out of the square
of a-pawn so  leads to a quick pawn
promotion.  loses even faster since
 white king is in the square
of h-pawn.
 White wins thanks to the method we
discussed in the previous issue:



we will delve into intriguing endgames with

connected passed pawns.
What is the main difference between connected
passed pawns and other pawn configurations?
Well, unlike single passed pawns, doubled
pawns, electric pawns etc., connected pawns can
directly defend each other. This becomes very
important in endgames as the reduced number of
pieces on the board makes it more difficult to
defend pawns under attack. Let's have a look at
the simplest example of this in the pawn
endgame:

41
etc. The decisive factor in this seemingly equal 
endgame is that connected pawns are "self-
sufficient", meaning they don't need help from
the king, whereas black pawns fall like ripe
apples because they can’t defend each other.

Connected pawns 2
Besides being „self-sufficient“, connected passed
pawns can be very dangerous if unleashed. They
should not be underestimated, especially if they
have crossed the „equator“ of the chess board,
like in the next example:


 The knight enlists the help of white king in
order to stop the pawns.

The counterplay with  is too slow...

 and White should resign
as the knight is helpless against the pawns.

 But black uses "shouldering", a technique

we will cover later, to deny white king access to
the pawns.

 would be a hasty mistake. White's king

It seems like White is the only one playing to win
with his kingside pawn majority. However,
appearances can be deceiving...
 An excellent knight sacrifice.
 would allow White to save the game.
arrives right on time 
 is even
riskier for Black.)  and the pawn endgame
is drawn.
 This is the right choice.
Since the more natural allows 


 In return for the piece, White got

two connected passed pawns, which prove too
much for white knight to handle:

 or  and they just

keep on rolling...

42
and now the piece sacrifice saves the day:
 again with a drawn pawn
endgame.

 White would like to sacrifice his

knight to reach a draw in the pawn endgame, but
it becomes impossible to do so after Black’s next
move.




In general, a single piece has challenges in

stopping 3 or more connected passed pawns, the
knight being the least succesful one; but stopping
2 connected pawns is possible if they have not
advanced too far. Before we look at some of the
more exciting endgames with connected passed
pawns, I suggest to the reader to get acquainted
(or refresh their memory) with typical defensive
and offensive techniques in theoretical endgame
positions with connected passed pawns. Let's
start with light pieces. In the first two examples,
knight and king (un)successfully deal with a trio
of connected passed pawns!
and Black wins.

Connected pawns 3
How does one deal with such a potentially
menacing threat? More often than not, allowing
your opponent to promote a pawn to queen leads
to an unwanted outcome. There are several
useful strategies to fight against connected
passed pawns. First and foremost, restricting
their movement, as in attacking, blocking or
immobilizing them, is the best remedy, which, if
succesfuly done, could also lead to a defeat for the
side with passed pawns. However, this is not
always possible, so it is neccessary to destroy the
passed pawns by sacrificing a piece, which is, of
course, a material concession and is usually
sufficient for draw only. Going for counterplay on This theoretical position reveals an important
the other side of the board can be a good counter- practical lesson. Once all connected pawns cross
measure, following the good old „attack is the the middle of the board, Black wins. Black to
best defense“ doctrine. In such positions, all hell move can force this scenario and is therefore
breaks loose and usually all three results are winning. However, White to move can stop one of
possible. the black pawns from stepping into his territory
and achieve a draw. But first, let's see how Black

43
wins:
 The only winning move, forcing the king to
drop back. Other pawn moves only lead to a
draw.
 fails to  ( is easily parried
with )  and now White
draws with the very precise  ( The
attempt at blockade doesn't work due to
)  ( leads to an
entertaining line 
 ()
 and the game is drawn.)
 ( and White has
achieved a favorable blockade 

 leads to a perpetual
check or Black loses his pawns.
) 
 and White was in time to block the pawns
so the game is drawn.;  seems just as good
as , but there is a catch: 
 and White reaches a drawn
pawn endgame as Black is unable to get the
opposition.
  is even worse.

The pawns have reached the fourth rank and the
position is now winning for Black.
 Relatively the best, waiting to see which
pawn Black will push first.
 allows  While in case of  Black
follows the same recipe:
 ( allows Black
to demonstrate how 3 connected passers win
against the sole king: 
) 
and White is on the ropes with no chance to
survive...
 White suitably puts his king in front
of the most advanced pawn. As we will see in the
next example, this method guarantees him a
draw when the pawns are moved one rank
backwards. But with pawns advanced so far, even
the best defence is not enough.
  with  to come.
 An excellent precise move,
avoiding the sacrifice motive
 with a draw.

This position is worth remembering. White can't
stop pawn promotion.
 or  and Black wins the
knight.
 Precision is still required in
the sense that Black must be aware of White's
defensive resources
44
such as 
 With this manoeuvre Black side-
steps all potential traps. Please notice the
position of black king as opposed to white knight.
We say that the king has avoided the "knight's
geometry" since it takes 3 moves for the knight to
give check from e4 to b4. In the meantime, Black
will promote the a-pawn:

and Black wins.
Connected pawns 4
We have the same position as in the previous
example, but here it is White to move. And this
tempo helps him save the game! Above all, it is
essential to activate the knight:
 Another attempt is  and now it is
important to stay with the most advanced pawn -
 ( would be a losing mistake
 and
Black wins.)  (2...ўb6 is an interesting
attempt to attack from the other side and now we
can see the importance of playing actively with
the knight as White has  ( is an
interesting attempt to triangulate king's way to
a5. White draws by attacking the weakest point
in Black’s pawn chain:  and if  with
blockade.)  and black king must return
 Black can’t make progress.)

similarly to the previous note, when it is not
checking black king, the knight is attacking the
weakest black pawn. is forced, but then a
draw is inevitable after 

 Stepping in front of the most advanced
pawn.
 Black wants to support the c pawn from
 or  so that he can push his b-pawn and reach
the winning position as in the previous example.
Of course is answered with 

45
 
The only drawing move. (runs into
and suddenly white knight runs out of
good squares.  and we
reach a position similar to the previous example
where pawns win by default.)  the
knight reaches the blocking square b4 in time.


Pesky knight doesn't allow black king to find a
safe square
On the other hand loses to  as we
have seen in the previous note.
 is the point. 
and we made a full circle without any progress
for White.
 Stepping out of the knight's
geometry, but allowing

The knight manages to block the pawns right on
time and the position is drawn.


Connected pawns 5
Finally, let's look at rook vs. connected pawns. A
famous rule of thumb goes like this: „If both
passed pawns have reached the sixth (third for
Black) rank, the rook is defenceless and one of
the pawns will promote to a queen. However, if
one of the pawns is still on the fifth (fourth for
Black) rank, the rook can immobilize the
connected pawns by attacking the more
advanced pawn.“ The following examples
illustrate this rule very well:
46
White to move can't hold the pawns back. Passive
defence
 is as useless as the active 

 and black wins.
Connected pawns 6
We already know what would happen here if it
was Black to move, but White to move can stop
the pawns by attacking the more advanced one:
  on the other hand would be a terrible
mistake ; Neither do  or
 make more sense.

pawns are immobilized and ready to fall.
Connected pawns 7
This position is similar to the previous one, the
only difference being a slightly worse position of
white rook. Nevertheless, he wins using the same
idea as in the previous example:
 Trying to get behind the pawn with
 would lead only to a draw
because it gives tempi for the activation of black
king: 
 with a perpetual check. (Interestingly,
 is a draw by
stalemate.)
 And White is
again in time with his king, so Black is lost after


etc.
47
Connected pawns 8
It is also very useful to know the following
technique with connected pawns in the rook
endgame:
In such positions, where one side has connected
passed pawns and black king is cut off, the pawns
don't need the help of the king - they win by
themselves!
 The attempt to stop the pawns from the
other side  is useless 

 The point of the
whole maneouvre is that  is impossible
due to 
 6.c5
and White slowly, but surely marches his pawns
toward the promotion square.




Heneberger,1916
And how does the bishop fare with connected
passers? It turns out that as a long-range piece it
is more effective than the knight at stopping
them. Therefore, bishop vs. 2 pawns endgames in
general lead to a draw if the defending king is
close enough, such as in the Heneberger study,
which also has important practical implications.
If black king was in front of the pawns, there
would be no doubt as to the outcome of the game.
However, with his king on e4, Black needs to play
precisely to stop the pawns.
 This move is important for two reasons:
1. to free the route e5–d6–c7–b8 to black king
48
and 2. to attack white pawns from behind.
The straightforward  is losing because
White can force black bishop into a passive
defending position with: 
will not see b8 square in this game, but there is
an alternative route...
 King will attack the pawns from the back!
 concludes the
perfect co-ordination of black pieces.

And Black reaches the blockade at the right
moment.



Averbakh,1970

The bishop and king can usually also deal with 3

connected pawns, but naturally, more precision
is required. Take Averbakh's theoretical position
from 1970:

Rare are the endgames that can be won without

the help of one's king. ( allows 
 with a draw.)
 and Black should resign.; It
has to be said that  and  are equally
good as f4 and they are perhaps even more
methodically correct as the bishop is further
away from possible attacks.

 White plans to shoulder black king first and

push the pawns later.

If he pushes the pawns immediately  black

bishop assumes a much more active position
  ( allows Black to reach b8 quite
 Activity is the name of the game in the
easily ) 
endgames. This move puts pressure not only on
 (looks very dangerous
f5, but indirectly on g4 pawn as well.
with 2 pawns on the sixth rank, but Black saves
the game with 
Passive  allows  The crucial
)
tempo.  ( wins.)
A very important position. Black draws by
 and Black’s pawns will prevail.
attacking the more advanced pawn. ( 
would fall short of a draw by one move 
 White wins the king race.   Preparing 
)  and White is unable to make Pushing the pawns is too early:
progress. or

 It became obvious that black king and White achieves blockade in both cases.

49
 The only move that can prevent Black
from putting all his pawns on 4th rank.
 An interesting idea. Black is going
towards h2 so that he can push his g-pawn.

 the pawn.
Basically, the only defense against Black's plan.
 followed by  wins.
 In the case of  even passive defense
works as Black can't really push his pawns
forward without losing one or allowing blockade.

 keeps
the
blockade. (But not   with
pawn promotion.)) 
 with an easy draw.

 Re-routing the bishop to the perfect
defensive spot - e2 square.
The "active"  doesn't do anything to stop the
pawns from moving forward 
and Black wins easily.
 Black improves his king before pushing

From this square the bishop keeps all three
pawns under control.  It is important
that White can go back and forth with his bishop
on the defensive diagonal. This idea is also
relevant with opposite colored bishops where
the stronger side has two connected pawns.
 Black has nothing better but to
allow the blockade. (
 the key idea.) 
and Black can't make progress.

 As analyzed after  in case of 
White draws with 


Timely counterplay.
  draws.
 Black's last try.



50